This highly contagious virus has triggered a global epidemic. It likely originated in wild animals and spread fast to humans. Sneezing, coughing, and speaking by an infected person spreads the infection. Fever, cough, breathlessness, and loss of smell or taste are symptoms. Hospitalization and death may result from severe cases. Avoid large gatherings, wear masks, wash hands often, and exercise social distance to prevent the infection from spreading. Local health authorities’ advice is also crucial. We can halt COVID-19 and protect each other from its devastating effects.
A recent European Respiratory Journal study demonstrated that a cough can quickly, easily, and cost-effectively assess COVID-19 disease severity at home or in clinical settings.
The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to represent a health threat, even though most COVID-19 patients recover within weeks.
Some may develop pneumonia and a worse prognosis.
Protocols have been created to measure patients’ risk, however diagnostic and prognostic tools rely on expensive and less accessible imaging technologies including radiography, ultrasonography, and CT.
Therefore, a simpler and more accessible prognostic tool is needed to help healthcare providers identify patients with or at risk of severe disease.
This would streamline patient triage and enable early intervention in home or basic care.
Spanish researchers analyzed and interpreted early Covid-19 cough noises. This approach may predict severe pneumonia risk and is easy and accessible.
Smartphone recordings of voluntary coughing sounds from 70 SARS-CoV-2 patients within 24 hours of hospital admission were used in the study.
An acoustic analysis of these recordings by Barcelona’s Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) showed that cough sounds varied with respiratory severity, as confirmed by imaging tests and oxygen use.
The results suggest that this technique could classify COVID-19 patients as mild, moderate, or severe and monitor persistent cases.
The study used Hospital del Mar data from April 2020 to May 2021. Dr. Joaquim Gea, emeritus head of the Pneumology Service and researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, says these discoveries may be useful “in regions with limited medical infrastructure or during emergencies.” This method can quickly identify and isolate COVID-19 patients, simplifying medical care and control measures.
The study focused on COVID-19, but it can be used to other respiratory disorders.
Conclusion:-
Wild animal-derived COVID-19 causes a global pandemic and is spread by coughing, sneezing, or speaking. Symptoms include fever, cough, breathlessness, and loss of smell or taste. Hospitalization and death may result from severe cases. Avoid large gatherings, wear masks, wash hands often, and exercise social distance to prevent the infection from spreading. Coughing can quickly, easily, and cheaply assess COVID-19 severity, according to a European Respiratory Journal study.
Some SARS-CoV-2 pandemic victims acquire pneumonia and a worse prognosis. A simpler and more accessible prognostic tool is needed to expedite patient triage and early intervention in home or primary care. Spanish researchers analyzed and interpreted cough sounds in the early stages of COVID-19 and found substantial differences by respiratory severity.
